Hand-grenade, incendiary and other bomb, and the like.



w. MILLS & w. MORGAN.

' HAND GRENADE, INCENDIARY AND OTHER BOMB, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. I9l6.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLI M MILLS, or BIRMINGHAM, AND WILLIAM MORGAN, or BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

HAND-GRENADE, INCENDIARY AND OTHER BOMB, AND THE-.IIIKE.

Application filed May 8, 1916. Serial No. 96,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM MILLS, a subject of the Kingdom of Great: Britain, residing at. Bridge street west, Birmingham,

in the county of Warwick, England, engi-" neer, and WILLIAM MORGAN, a subject of the Kingdom of Great Britain, residing at Westburyroad, Bristol, in the county of Gloucester, England, professor of englneer-' ing, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Hand- Grenades, Incendiary and other Bombs, and

'latten.

v the like, of which .thefollowing is a specification. 4

This invention relates to hand grenades and the like, of the type in'which the member forfiring the grenade is adapted to be controlled by a member adapted to be held by the hand grasping the grenade.

According to the present invention, the arrangement is such that the action of grasping. the grenade by the hand is adapted to disengage the controlling member from the firing member to permit of the operation of the Conveniently the grenade is adapted to be I fired by 9. art adapted to be operated by being resse inwardly into or toward the body of t e grenade, as for instance by grasping the grenade and concussively striking a hard resistance part or member, such as the butt of a rifle, or other part or object with the external part adapted to fire the time fuse, by which operation, such part is suitably disfi) aced or operated. In such a grenade the ring member is normally locked or retained from operation by the member adap d to be gripped b the act of grasping the enade;

such mem er is of a character that when in its normal or locking condition it occupies a position in relief from the grenade so that upon the grenade being grasped, the part of the locking member normally occupying a osition'in relief in relation to the grenade is necessarily and automatically displaced in such a manner that the locking member is disengaged from the firing member. If it should not be desired after the grenade has been grasped, to fire the grenade and throw it, in releasing the grasp upon the grenade, th hn pcking member again automatically comes intoengagement withthe firing member and thereby restrains the latter from accidental displacement. Thus except when Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1 11 an.

i the grenade is grasped by the hand, the locking member automatically assumes its condition of engagement with the firing memplanatory sheet of drawings, upo ,wh'ich:--

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of grenade according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the grenade shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the grenade shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

4 is a sectional plan (if the grenade shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.- Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively a front elevation, plan, and side elevation of the looking or retaining means.

In a convenient embodiment of the present invention, We may employ a grenade com prising or involving an oval hollow body or shell a, through the one end ofwhich a longitudinally or axially moving striker b is incorporated to project. This hollow body or shell may be open at one end only, and such open extremity may be formed with a neck and may be internally screw-threaded.

c is a plug adapted to be screwed into the neck of the shell or body, and said plug 0 Q carries a casing d' which may be sweated within the plug c'and which is adapted to contain the detonator e adapted to fire the charge contained within the shell a, and with which detonator e a length of Bickford time fuse f is in communication, such fuse f being adapted to be fired by, a percussion cap 9,. upon which the striker b is adapted to operate. Ihe striker b is mounted in a second the neck of the shell or body, and the inner "plug it which is adapted to be screwed into end of such plug it may bear upon an eyelet' c' .of angle section which is forced or secured twithin or in relation to the casing (Z, and.

within which eyelet the. percussion cap 9 IS forced. I

The striker normally 131 the pbsition shown in Fig. 2 by a pm, wire or 50 member.

the like 9' passing through the plug it and through the striker and which pin or the like 9' is adapted to be sheared when the outerextremity of the striker is axially impelled inwardly. The striker may be furnished at its outer extremity with an enlarged flat or other shaped head 70 for which purpose it may for instance be operated by the thrower conoussively striking any suitable resistance with the" enlarged head is of the striker. Advantageously the head 70 is adapted to rotate in relation to the striker so that the screwing up of the plug k cannot be afiectedby the head..k, this precaution having for its purpose to avoid the possibility of the pin or the like 7' being sheared as it might be if the member is were fixed and an attempt were made to screw up the plug h by the member k.

In addition to the member 7', the striker is normally retained in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the safety member Z. This in a the arrangement shown comprises a U- shaped wire member, the arms of which may extend throughout the major part of the axial length of the grenade, and which are at their extremities bent outwardly in the form of trunnions m adapted to engage within perforations in lugs n provided ina point level with the .top of the grenade, the arms of the member Z turn inwardly of the grenade and extend in a horizontal plane, conveniently contiguous to the upper '35 surface of the plug it, to a point at which the transverse part of grooved part 0 of the striker 6. Beyond the transverse portion 1), which may be of semicircular form to satisfactorily engage with the grooved part 0, the arms of the safety member continue at a greater distance from each other inparallel formation. A part or parts of the safety member at the side of the grenade are disposed at a position projecting in relief from the bodyof the grenade.

In thisposition the safety member is normally retained by lugs g provided on the grenade body, and Whlch lugs q are in contact with the lower portions of the safety When the safety member occupies this normalposition shown in Fig. 2, the part 77 is in engagementwith the grooved part0 of the striker in such a manner as to lock or retain the latter from inwardmovement. When the grenade, together with the safety member Z, is grasped by the hand, the safetvmember is, of a spring-v character, pressed by the. hand toward" the body of to part of the latter is not then engaged by tegrally upon the shell a of the grenade. At

the U embracesa if it should be desirable 'to do so immediately tween the explosive part of by reason of its being,

. the grenade, and this o0 has the effect of displacing the part 1) from the safety member. The latter can then be concussively operated to shear the pin or the like'j and explode the percussion cap 9.

The member Z normally assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 by reason of the engagement of its trunnions with the perforations in the lugs n, and by reason of the lugs g, and when the body of the grenade 1s grasped by the hand, the safety member is adapted to bend by a spring action above the members 9 in a direction toward the body of the grenade, to thereby efiect the desired release. Lugs may be provided upon the upper part of the body of the grenade to project and occupy positions one on each 30 side of the projecting corner portion or portions 1' of the safety member; these lugs are adapted to counteract the possibility of the member Z being operated to release the striker in the event of the gren'adebeing accidentally dropped in such a. way that the member 7a might be depressed almost at the same time. The lug or lugs last referred to may also project between the limbs of the member I and may beadapted to prevent lateral derangement of the member Z or of either or'both of the limbs thereof, when the latter is depressed by the hand graspmg the grenade.

In any of the arrangements above described, if after the safety member has been pressed out of engagement with the striker, it should not be op portune to operate the latter, upon' releasing the grasp upon the grenade the safety member automatically moves to a ain enga with the striker, and thereby loo or retain the latter from accidental operation.

The pivotal connection between the lever and the grenade body is advantageously of a character whereby the lever may be entirely disconnected .and readily assembled. This permits of the firing unit. being trans-- ported separately from the body of the grenade and charge contained therein, so that it can be readily assembled within the latter after. it has been transported. The safety members Z nay furthermore be disconnected f-rom a number of the grenades prior to an engagement.

Suitable Iprovision is. incorporated for venting in t e vicinity of the explosive part of the cap and/or for ventin the space bee cap and the time fuse.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a hand grenade, incendiary or other bomb, or the li e, the combination with a hollow body of means wherebly a charge 1n the said body may be fire and means whereby said firing means may be controlled, said controllinfiilnepns bein ted to be adap f pp 1181 y the hon said 13o body, and'said controlling means being so arranged with relation to the said body that the action of grasping the said body by the l hand is adapted to disengage the controlling means from the firing means.

2. In a hand grenade, incendiary or other bomb, or the like, the combination with a hollow body of means whereby a charge in thesaid body maybe 'fired, and means whereby saidfiring means may be controlled,'said controlling means being adapt ed to be gripped or'held by the handgrasping said body, and said controlling means bemg so arranged with relation to the said body that the action of grasping the said body by the hand is adapted to disengage the controlling means from the firing means, said controlling means being separable from the grenade when desired.

3. A grenade, comprising in combination a hollow body, a firing member carried by said body mounted to move axially thereof,

one extremity of said member being disposed externally of the body, and said ex tremity being adapted to be concussively operated inwardly, a resistance member normally retaining said striker in position, said resistance member being adapted to be overcome when the striker is-concussively operated, and additional means for normally maintaining said striker in an inoperative condltion comprising asafety member, sald safety member-being normally disposed in t relief in relation to the body of the grenade.

whereby it may be automatically displaced by the action of the hand in grasping the latter. I

In witness-whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

- WILLIAM MILLS.

, WILLIAM MORGAN. Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. Brown, HOLLIS BROWN. 

